How to Make an Airsoft Red Dot Scope Protector for Cheap (also Works for Conventional Scopes)

So you've purchased your first red dot sight. But the night before your first skirmish you realise "Hang on...what if this gets hit by a bb? Will it break?" The short answer is, you'll be lucky if you get away with a scratch.... But never fear I have come up with a step by step tutorial to make an effective (albeit temporary and ugly) clear scope protector!     

Step 1: Find Yourself Some Tinfoil / Aluminium Foil

First of all you will need about 25 cm of tinfoil / aluminium foil

fold the tinfoil / aluminium foil to double the depth you want you scope protector to be and continue folding it over itself until you cant go any further. Then simply fold it horizontally in half.

Step 2: Fit to Size

Grab your red dot sight / scope and wrap the band of tinfoil / aluminium foil around it tightly. Then hold it in place with some tape (I used scotch tape however its not necessary to use the same tape).  Then trim off the excess.

TIP  make the band very slightly longer then the actual sight so that when you wrap this with tape it will still fit. Be very careful when doing this as you don't want it to be to loose on your scope.

Step 3: Duct Tape....duct Tape....duct Tape....

Now for the tricky part....
place your band onto the duct tape and begin to roll the duct tape onto it (place the bottom half of the band slightly above half-way but don't forget to leave a little bit of tape at the top to fold onto the "lens")

Next cut strips down to the tinfoil into the duct tape all the way around but not on the shorter side (see pictures if confused :P)


TIP If the duct tape you've left at the top to fold over the lens is too thick ( i.e it will cover up too much of the lens) cut the excess off as seen in the picture. Remember though you can always take away but never add back!

Step 4: Now for the Lens

Find yourself a HARD plastic bottle. It should be difficult to bend and rigid. I cannot explain it better then that so trial and error is the order of the day (the bottle I used is pictured).

First cut out a square of plastic bigger then your band of tinfoil / aluminium foil and give it a good wash!

TIP if like me your plastic has some sticky residue on it simply soak it in hot water for about 10 minutes and it will come of relatively easily.

Next you'll want to place the square on the band mark it with a sharpie and cut it out (it doesn't matter if there is some sharpie on the edges because it will be covered).

Step 5: Nearly Done!

Now you need to push the lens into the band. start from the back and stop when you get to where the overlap of duct tape starts (see pictures if confused).

next bits pretty self explanatory but i'll explain it anyway. fold over the tape onto the lens (try and keep it flat). 

Now is a good time to give your lens a quick polish with a microfibre cloth.

Step 6: DONE!

And you're done! You can now go to your first skirmish with your red dot sight with your head held high in the knowledge it wont brake if it gets hit!

WARNING
AS I MENTIONED IN THE BEGINNING THIS IS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION. THIS WILL TAKE A FEW BBS BUT WILL EVENTUALLY CRACK/BREAK ALTHOUGH THIS SHOULDN'T DAMAGE THE SCOPES LENS A NEW ONE (scope protector) WILL BE REQUIRED.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BUYING A PURPOSE BUILT SCOPE PROTECTOR AND AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY BE CAUSED TO ANYONE'S RED DOT SCOPES BECAUSE OF THIS DESIGN